Books of the Month – a curated selection of great reads
Discover our monthly literary smorgasbord of handpicked reads in 10 different categories – there’s something for everyone.
A new line-up awaits every month – explore the books in our shops. (And some categories even have accompanying local discussion reading groups!) » more about Reading Groups
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Books of the Month in October
Explore the Books of the Month for October in the bookshop, we have some haunting reads in this month’s lineup!
Modern Fiction
Only Here, Only Now – Tom Newlands
Critically acclaimed Scottish debut of wit, grit and family in 1990s Fife.
Classics
Annie John – Jamaica Kincaid
A haunting and tragicomic tale of the end of childhood, Annie John is told with Jamaica Kincaid’s trademark candour and complexity, and is a true coming-of-age classic.
Feel-Good
The Book Swap – Tessa Bickers
Two book lovers. Two broken hearts. One fresh chapter?
Mystery
Death at the White Hart – Chris Chibnall
Nothing keeps a village together like secrets. The smaller the village, the darker its hidden secrets…
Noir
My Favorite Scar – Nicolas Ferraro
A vivid, bloody noir set amidst prison and gangland violence in northern Argentina.
Sci-Fi
Hum – Helen Phillips
A thrilling, feminist vision of family and our near (AI) future.
Fantasy
The Great When – Alan Moore
History collides with magic in this dark, ridiculous, and propulsive genre-buster.
Horror
Moonflow – Bitter Karella
Answer the call of the forest, if you dare…
Queer
Cuckoo – Gretchen Felker-Martin
Something evil is buried deep in the desert. It wants your body. It wears your skin.
Non-Fiction
An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence – Zeinab Badawi
Everyone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone.
Books of the Month in September
Explore the Books of the Month for September in the bookshop, we have some stunning reads in this month’s lineup!
Modern Fiction
Hyper – Agri Ismaïl
A rich novel of ideas and a moving family saga, weaving parallel worlds into a broken tapestry of finance, familial disruption and the remnants of internationalist aspirations.
Classics
Caliban Shrieks – Jack Hilton
A rediscovered working-class masterpiece of British literature.
Feel-Good
Leading Man – Justin Myers
A hilarious and relatable coming-of-age story from Justin Myers, king of the thoroughly modern comedy.
Mystery
The Day of the Roaring – Nina Bhadreshwar
Silence protects the victims… And the killer. ”Everything I love in a crime novel – passion, interesting and rooted characters and a great story” – Ann Cleeves
Noir
Opal Country – Chris Hammer
Opals, bodies, secrets – nothing stays buried forever.
Sci-Fi
The Two Lies of Faven Sythe – Megan E. O’Keefe
A heart-stopping, heartfelt standalone space opera about the search for a missing person, a galaxy spanning conspiracy, and the secrets we keep even from ourselves.
Fantasy
Someone You Can Build A Nest In – John Wiswell
A cosy fantasy as sweet as love and as dark as night.
Horror
Hungerstone – Kat Dunn
A brilliant feminist vampire novel: a story of ambition, female oppression and unstoppable hunger.
Queer
Friends of Dorothy – Sandi Toksvig
Touching & funny about a family that is not biological, but logical.
Non-Fiction
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks – David Gibbins
A fantastic voyage both under the waves and into the past.
Books of the Month in August
Explore the Books of the Month for August in the bookshop, we have some stunning reads in this month’s lineup!
Modern Fiction
The Wedding People – Alison Espach
’Laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly moving’ – The Independent
Classics
Mrs Dalloway – Virginia Woolf
“It is a thousand pities never to say what one feels.”.
Feel-Good
First Time Caller – B.K. Borinson
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story.
Mystery
The Tiger in the Smoke – Margery Allingham
The Queen of the Classic Murder Mystery.
Noir
The River We Remember – William Kent Krueger
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel.
Sci-Fi
The Book of Elsewhere – Keanu Reeves & China Miéville
“An exceptionally innovative collaboration from two remarkable minds.” – William Gibson.
Fantasy
Blood over Bright Haven – M.L. Wang
“A gaslamp dark academia that will haunt you forever.”
Horror
Eat the Ones You Love – Sarah Maria Griffin
A twisted, tangled story about workplace love-affairs, and plants with a taste for human flesh.
Queer
Giovanni’s Room – James Baldwin
”A layered exploration of queer desire … It is electric” – Hilton Als
Non-Fiction
The Greatest Nobodies of History: Minor Characters from Major Moments – Adrian Bliss
History belongs to the heroes. But to get the full story, sometimes you have to ask the side characters.
Books of the Month in July
Explore the Books of the Month for July in the bookshop, we have some great summer reads in this month’s lineup!
Modern Fiction
Help Wanted – Adelle Waldman
One of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of the Summer.
Classics
Dandelion Wine – Ray Bradbury
An endearing classic of childhood memories.
Feel-Good
How to Age Disgracefully – Clare Pooley
Ageing is inevitable. Growing up is optional.
Mystery
The God of the Woods – Liz Moore
The third rule of Camp Emerson is the most important, ‘When lost sit down and yell’.
Noir
Where They Last Saw Her – Marcie R. Rendon
All they heard was her scream.
Sci-Fi
City of All Seasons – Oliver K. Langmead & Aliya Whiteley
A vibrant and emotional science fantasy about cousins trapped in mirrored worlds – the resplendent and verdant summer city and the ice-carved wastes of the winter city.
Fantasy
The Will of the Many – James Islington
”If the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.”
Horror
The Eyes are the Best Part – Monika Kim
Utterly fantastic, female revenge horror at its finest.
Queer
Bad Habit – Alana S. Portero
A powerfully moving coming-of-age novel following a young trans woman in 1980s Madrid..
Non-Fiction
I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris – Glynnis MacNicol
One of TIME’s 100 Must-Reads of 2024.
Books of the Month in June
Explore the Books of the Month for June in the bookshop, we have some great reads in this month’s lineup!
Modern Fiction
All Fours – Miranda July
Longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Classics
Candide – Voltaire
’The prince of philosophical novels’ – John Updike.
Feel-Good
My Mother’s Ridiculous Rules for Dating – Philip William Stover
A totally uplifting fake dating, opposites attract romcom that will make you swoon.
Mystery
A Queer Case – Robert Holtom
A gripping 1920s-set whodunnit, featuring a queer sleuth on Hampstead Heath.
Noir
Bluebird, Bluebird – Attica Locke
A powerful novel about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice.
Sci-Fi
The Employees – Olga Ravn
A sci-fi voyage reshuffled into a riotously original existential nightmare…
Fantasy
Wizard of the Pigeons – Megan Lindholm
Wizard’s gift is the Knowing – a powerful enchantment. But magic has its price…
Horror
Strangers – Taichi Yamada
A sharp, chilling, contemporary ghost story – now an award-winning major film ”All of Us Strangers”.
Queer
Interesting Facts About Space – Emily Austin
A fast-paced, hilarious, and ultimately hopeful novel for anyone who has ever worried they might be a terrible person.
Non-Fiction
Reading Lessons – Carol Atherton
An English teacher’s love letter to reading and the many ways literature can make us, and our lives, better.